Rio 2016 Olympic Champion MA Long (CHN) is one step closer to breaking the most number of World Tour Singles titles record set by Belarussian legend Vladimir SAMSONOV at 26 titles with his victory at the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open today 26 February 2017 in Doha.   MA defended his crown against compatriot FAN Zhendong with a 4-2 (11-8 11-8 11-7 5-11 6-11 11-4) win to achieve his career 23rd Men’s Singles World Tour title in a domineering fashion.   Amidst the cheers of “Jia you” from fans who flew in to Qatar to support their favorite table tennis stars the Chinese duo engaged in a six-games thriller with MA dominating the first half of the match racing to a 3-0 lead over his opponent. FAN’s attempts to turn the table in his favor were in vain as the 20-year-old was unable to maintain his momentum to push the match into a decider after winning two games off the Olympic Champion and lost the sixth game to surrender the match.   “Today I think the both of us performed very well. I was very proactive at the start and established a 3-0 lead. In the third and fourth game Fan Zhendong had changed his strategy. I know the sixth game is crucial – so I changed my strategy as well ” shared MA who now has a 10-1 victory record over FAN.   The Grand Slam Champion added that “I’m very happy with the title. It’s my first international event of the year. I won my first title of 2016 in Qatar as well and moved on to win more and even became the Olympic Champion so I hope that retaining this title in Qatar will be another good start into 2017 for me.”   The Women’s Singles final was another all-Chinese affair between 2016 World Team Champion CHEN Meng against two-time (2014 & 2015) World Junior Champion WANG Manyu.   Despite having a tough start into the match CHEN was able to use her experience to good use to take control in the match over WANG and claimed the title 4-1 (12-10 11-9 11-6 2-11 11-6).   “We are teammates so we know each other very well so it’s a very tough match. Especially in the first two games I only won by a narrow margin of 2 points in both games it was tedious mentally as well to take those 2 games ” stated the 23-year-old. “The first two games was crucial so after winning those it was easier for the remaining of the match.”   Rivals in the singles competition CHEN and WANG teamed up for the first time in Qatar to take home the Women’s Doubles title from top seeded JEON Jihee and YANG Haeun with a 3-1 (11-4 11-6 4-11 11-6) victory in the final.   Champions at the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour India Open last week in New Delhi Japan’s Masataka MORIZONO and Yuya OSHIMA continued their winning streak to add another Men’s Doubles title to their name in Doha. The duo secured a 3-1 (9-11 11-5 11-5 11-9) victory against Swedish pair Kristian KARLSSON and Mattias KARLSSON who had caused a first round upset against tournament favorites MA Long and ZHANG Jike.   The next Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour will be held in Incheon Korea from 20-23 April 2017.

Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open   At the conclusion of the Women’s Singles semi-finals at the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open In Doha CHEN Meng and her Chinese National Team colleague WANG Manyu emerged successful.   Chen Meng the no.9 seed accounted for Germany’s SHAN Xiaona the no.16 seed (11-4 12-10 11-5 11-3) before WANG Manyu defeated compatriot Gu Yuting likewise a player who had been required to compete in the qualification tournament (11-6 20-18 11-6 7-11 11-6).   The respective top two seeds China’s MA Long and FAN Zhendong duly emerged successful at the semi-final stage of the Men’s Singles event.   MA Long beat Chinese Taipei’s CHUANG Chih-Yuan the no.9 seed in four straight games (11-8 11-8 11-6 11-4) before FAN Zhendong emerged successful in a dynamic all Chinese duel in opposition to FANG Bo the no.11 seed. He won in seven games (9-11 11-3 12-10 5-11 11-6 13-15 11-8)      

Men’s Singles event at the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open   In the second round of the Men’s Singles event at the Seamaster 2011 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open Portugal’s Marcos FREITAS the no.12 seed halted fantastic run of Croatian qualifier Tomislav PUCAR. He fought back from three games to one in arrears to record a seven games success (4-11 11-6 8-11 11-13 11-3 11-6 11-6).   “It is the first time that I have played against him; quite simply in the first part of the match he played very well. He received service well he was very strong from the backhand playing; especially playing the ball down the parallel. He took some risks and I was a little passive. After the fourth game I played better I made good starts and he started to make some mistakes. In a seventh game anything can happen but I was more confident having won the last two games. I was very focused I tried to make sure I was consistent I concentrated on putting the ball on the table” said Marcos FREITAS   Germany’s Dimitrij OVTCHAROV the no.6 seed suffered by the hands of Japan’s Masaki YOSHIDA. YOSHIDA not seeded required to compete in the qualification tournament; presently listed at no.72 on the Men’s World Rankings as opposed to Dimitrij OVTHAROV who is at no.5 (11-6 6-11 4-11 11-7 11-9 11-8).   In the round of the last eight he faces Fan Zhendong the player listed at no.2 on the current Men’s World Rankings and behind colleague Ma Long the second seed in Doha. Imposingly Fan Zhendong accounted for Spanish qualifier Alvaro Robles (11-6 11-8 11-8 12-10) to reserve his place in the quarter-finals.   LIANG Jingkun overcame fellow qualifier Sweden’s Mattias KARLSSON (11-6 11-7 14-12 4-11 4-11 13-11) to set up all Chinese last eight duel.   In the Men’s Doubles Event Masataka MORIZONO and Yuya OSHIMA the top seeds accounted for Belgium’s Robin DEVOS and Cédric NUYTINCK the no.7 seeds (11-4 12-10 11-8); Kristian KARLSSON and Mattias KARLSSON ended the hopes of fellow qualifiers the French partnership of Tristan FLORE and Emmanuel LEBESSON (11-8 5-11 11-7 11-2).   “We played really well today we were clever. The first attack the first return is always important; in that respect we were good today. Both of them return well from the backhand using the banana technique. Short short we were good today; we were able to play our game and we followed the short play very strongly” Mattias KARLSSON   The Men’s Doubles final will be played on Sunday.   Germany’s SHAN Xiaona caused the biggest upset; Poland’s Natalia PARTYKA gave the most accomplished performance as play began in the second round of the Women’s Singles event. SHAN Xiaona beat China’s ZHU Yuling in five games (11-8 6-11 11-9 12-10 11-7).   “I think I played well against Zhu Yuling today my receive of her serves was good. She was slower getting into the game as well and wasn’t playing her best level. Our last encounter ended with me losing three-four at the Japan Open last year it was very close it was a pity that I lost but that made me realise that I still have a chance. To be frank my goal was just to take two games off her. In the fifth game when I was leading 3-1 I was thinking of finishing the game quickly to win but I knew that game was crucial if I lost that game she could have easily come back to take the match. I think I’m really lucky to be able to win. I think generally for Chinese players they have a lot of pressure to win when they come out to compete and that gives foreign players an advantage in setting a good mentality against them” explained SHAN Xiaona   Poland’s Natalia PARTYKA accounted for fellow qualifier Korea’s YANG Haeun. However there is a gap of over 50 places on the current Women’s World Rankings; PARTYKA stands at no.78 YANG is at 27.   CHEN Meng the no.9 seed accounted for HAN Ying the no.5 seed and like SHAN Xiaona from Germany (7-11 11-6 11-6 11-13 11-5 11-4). WANG Manyu ended the progress of Slovak Republic’s Barbora BALAZOVA (11-6 7-11 11-2 11-6 11-6).  

Double European champion speaks about many interesting things in his interview to Times of India   Double European champion Dimitrij OVTCHAROV the winner of recent Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour India Open gave an interview to Times of India`s Mukesh THAPLIYAL. One of issues among others was possibility to make table tennis more interesting to the fans.   “I think there are too many breaks between points due to only one ball and also it has a lot of spin. Sometimes the opponent misses slow spinning balls and the spectators don’t know why it was missed as it was not a 200 mph service. But now the balls are changing from April 3 and we will have only ABS balls. It’s a new quality of plastic which has less spin and I believe the rallies will get better and easier to understand for the spectators” said OVTCHAROV speaking to Times of India.   German had a warm reception in New Delhi and he felt big support from the stands. Four-time Olympic table-tennis medalist and World No. 5 spoke also about his experience of playing in Chinese Super League:   “In Europe I hardly lose a match even though we have really strong guys. In China suddenly you meet people you have never heard of before. They are extremely young and they play so well. The whole level is so high as each of the 30-40 players are really strong. At times some of them show up at World Tour events but they are of course extremely nervous since they don’t get so many chances to play and that is one reason they don’t play successfully. But when they are at home in China playing in their well-known conditions they play tremendously well. For my personal table tennis skills there is no better place than to play in Chinese Super League”.   OVTCHAROV who took three titles in a row in February explained how table tennis players manage to continue their successes even after 30:   “Athletes worldwide have got so much of knowledge as to how to take care of themselves and prolong their career. Earlier a tennis player was older when he was 27 but now Roger FEDERER is winning at 35 and he is the best tennis player in the world. Andy MURRAY is on the top of the world at 30. I hear all the time in tennis that Serena WILLIAMS is breaking the record of an oldest oldest and oldest…. Everything is getting older. It’s just how you take care of yourself. I don’t see that anymore in table tennis since we are lot more professional. Once you get more professional you can play longer. It’s difficult to answer about the peak age as Asians and Chinese start their game at the age of four while in Europe we first go to school and then take the game at the age of 16. European players mostly peak after 30. It also depends upon luck and how one’s career goes”.   One of questions was about yoga`s role in his practices… “I try to meditate every morning after I wake up. Not for longer durations since I am always very active but at least 5-10 minutes I give for myself to find peace for the day. I also do longer yoga sessions twice a week”.   After all Dima stressed that fatherhood changed him a lot: “Yes. Earlier I used to be very down whenever I lost a match. I still feel very down but fatherhood just opened my eyes and showed me that life is not only about this little ball. There are other fantastic things which are more important. It gives me calmness”

Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open in Doha   Mattias KARLSSON partnered Kristian KARLSSON to record a sensational victory in the Men’s Doubles Event at the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open in Doha. Duo from Sweden beat Olympic Games gold medalists and World champions China’s MA Long and ZHANG Jike the Men’s Singles finalists at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the opening round. Chinese stars were beaten by the Swedish partnership in four games (5-11 11-8 12-10 11-3). Silver medalists from 2012 European Champions in Herning Denmark were prepared for the challenge.   “We had nothing to lose we were under no pressure; a few years ago we had played MA Long and WANG Hao; we lost 11-9 in the deciding games. Also we had beaten MA Lin and WANG Hao so we knew that we could compete against a strong Chinese partnership. Mattias is very good with short play he creates opening for me it proved a winning formula today” Kristian KARLSSON Mattias KARLSSON added:  “The fact that I use short pimples helps our partnership; it means there are always changes of spin. Also Kristian Karlsson being left handed gives me a great deal of space to play; partnering a right hander can be very cramped.”   It was a day reserved for Sweden’s success; Pär GERELL and Anton KÄLLBERG beat Qatar’s Ahmad Al-MOHANNADI and LI Ping the no.8 seeds (12-10 9-11 9-11 11-6 12-10). In addition Tristan FLORE and Emmanuel LEBESSON of France ended the aspirations of Russia’s Alexey LIVENTSOV and Mikhail PAIKOV the no.3 seed (10-12 11-7 11-7 11-5).   Mattias KARLSSON continued with good results in Singles Event as well. He beat Vladimir SAMSONOV of Belarus (8-11 10-12 11-7 11-6 11-9 11-9). “Against Vladi you have to be one hundred percent with your first ball. He changes the service all the time sometimes short sometimes half long. You must be alert you must receive service well and you must take your chances. I lost the first two games in the second game I was 10-4 ahead I came back to 10-10 and then lost. After that I played better and my play improved as the match progressed.”   In the Women’s Singles Event SHAN Xiaona and HAN Ying of Germany LI Jie of Netherlands progressed to the round of 16. They joined surprising winners of the opening round matches: Barbora BALAZOVA of Slovakia and Natalia PARTYKA of Poland. PARTYKA five time Paralympic Games gold medal winner beat China’s WU Yang the no.7 seed (11-7 9-11 11-9 9-11 11-4 4-11 11-9). BALAZOVA overcame Japan’s Kasumi ISHIKAWA (11-4 11-8 11-4 11-6).   “You never know against a defender the longer the rally the more they can establish a rhythm to their play and the more you become tired. I have to admit that as the match came to a conclusion I was becoming a little nervous but throughout the match I tried to play my game. I played about 80 per cent of the time to her backhand; I was able to read the spin on the ball; when I played to her forehand there was so much backspin the ball it was so difficult ” said Natalia PARTYKA.